Automated universal test system for testing remote control units

ABSTRACT

Technologies are described herein for enabling the automated testing of remote control units by providing a suitable test station. The test station includes features that allow it to interact with the remote control units inputs, such as buttons and microphone, and outputs, such as IR and RF remote control codes, status LEDs, and audio output. The test station may be controlled by a controller that executes test scripts or other routines that exercise the functionality of the remote control unit as desired.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/576,147 entitled “Automated Test System for Testing Remote ControlUnits,” filed on Sep. 19, 2019, and to U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/576,208 entitled “Systems and Methods for Simultaneously Testing aPlurality of Remote Control Units,” filed on Sep. 19, 2019, both ofwhich are filed concurrently herewith and are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to systems for testing consumer electronicsproducts. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a universal teststation that can be configured to perform comprehensive testing onmulti-function remote control units.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to technologies for testing thefunctionality of remote control units of the type commonly used inconjunction with a variety of consumer electronics products, such asset-top boxes that are supplied to subscribers by pay television serviceproviders. According to some embodiments, a test station for testingremote control units can comprise a plurality of features that allow thetest station to be used in conjunction with an automated system fortesting a variety of functions associated with the remote control units.

According to further embodiments, a test station comprises a testfixture with features that allow a remote control unit to be preciselypositioned and held in place in the test station during a testingprocess. The test fixture further comprises a plurality of actuators,such as solenoids, that are aligned with buttons on the remote controlunit and capable of pressing each of the buttons in response toinstructions from a controller or computer that is part of the teststation. The station further comprises receivers for receiving infrared(IR) and radio frequency (RF) remote control codes that are transmittedby the remote control unit to a target device (e.g., a set-top box,television, video game console, or other consumer electronics device) inresponse to the pressing of each button.

According to further embodiments, a test station can further comprisesensors capable of detecting the color of light emitted by one or morestatus indicators on the remote control unit and, separately, thepresence of light emitted by the buttons when they are illuminated orbacklit during use.

According to further embodiments, a test station can further comprise amicrophone for detecting tones emitted by a speaker on the remotecontrol unit, and a speaker for providing audio input to a microphone onthe remote control unit. The test station can comprise hardware orsoftware configured to analyze the audio captured by the microphone onthe remote control unit.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure can compriseadditional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may notnecessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all suchsystems, methods, features, and advantages be included within thepresent disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims. Thefeatures and advantages of such implementations can be realized andobtained by means of the systems, methods, features particularly pointedout in the appended claims. These and other features will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims, orcan be learned by the practice of such exemplary implementations as setforth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following Detailed Description, references are made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and show, by way ofillustration, specific embodiments or examples. The features andcomponents of the following figures are illustrated to emphasize thegeneral principles of the present disclosure. The drawings herein arenot drawn to scale. Like numerals represent like elements throughout theseveral figures.

FIG. 1a is a front view of an exemplary remote control unit for consumerelectronics products, such as a set-top box associated with a paytelevision service, according to embodiments that are described herein.

FIG. 1b is a rear view of the exemplary remote control unit of FIG. 1a ,and shows a battery compartment and other features that are found on arear of the remote control unit.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a test station for testing the remotecontrol unit of FIG. 1, according to embodiments that are describedherein.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the test station of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the test station of FIG. 2 with theremote control unit of FIG. 1 inserted in the test fixture, the toggleclamp closed, and a line-powered battery pack simulator inserted in thebattery compartment of the remote control unit.

FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of the test station of FIG. 2 showing therelationship between the remote control unit and the features of thetest station.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer suitable for use in the teststation of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a controller board for interfacing thecomputer of FIG. 6 to a test fixture.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a test fixture board that is associatedwith a test fixture.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process for using the test stationof FIG. 2 to test remote control units.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an automated process for testingthe functionality of remote control units.

FIG. 11 is a timing diagram illustrating a signal for controllingsolenoids that form a part of the test fixture of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference tothe following detailed description, examples, drawings, and claims, andtheir previous and following descriptions. However, before the presentdevices, systems, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is tobe understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specificdevices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified,as such can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that theterminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularaspects only and is not intended to be limiting.

The following description is provided as an enabling teaching of thepresent devices, systems, and/or methods in their best, currently knownaspect. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognizeand appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspectsdescribed herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of thepresent disclosure. It will also be apparent that some of the desiredbenefits of the present disclosure can be obtained by utilizing some ofthe features of the present disclosure without utilizing other features.Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that manymodifications and adaptations to the present disclosure are possible andcan even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of thepresent disclosure. Thus, the following description is provided asillustrative of the principles of the present disclosure and not inlimitation thereof.

As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” includeplural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus,for example, reference to a quantity of one of a particular element cancomprise two or more such elements unless the context indicatesotherwise.

Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value,and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range isexpressed, another aspect comprises from the one particular value and/orto the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed asapproximations, by use of the antecedent “about” or “substantially,” itwill be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. Itwill be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges aresignificant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently ofthe other endpoint.

For purposes of the present disclosure, a material property or dimensionmeasuring about X or substantially X on a particular measurement scalemeasures within a range between X plus an industry-standard uppertolerance for the specified measurement and X minus an industry-standardlower tolerance for the specified measurement. Because tolerances canvary between different materials, processes and between differentmodels, the tolerance for a particular measurement of a particularcomponent can fall within a range of tolerances.

As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that thesubsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, andthat the description comprises instances where said event orcircumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

The word “or” as used herein means any one member of a particular listand also comprises any combination of members of that list.

To simplify the description of various elements disclosed herein, theconventions of “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,”and/or “vertical” may be referenced. Unless stated otherwise, “top”describes that side of the system or component that is facing upward and“bottom” is that side of the system or component that is opposite ordistal the top of the system or component and is facing downward. Unlessstated otherwise, “side” describes that an end or direction of thesystem or component facing in horizontal direction. “Horizontal” or“horizontal orientation” describes that which is in a plane aligned withthe horizon. “Vertical” or “vertical orientation” describes that whichis in a plane that is angled at 90 degrees to the horizontal.

The following detailed description is directed to technologies forautomatically testing remote control units of the type commonly used tocontrol consumer electronics products, such as set-top boxes provided tosubscribers by pay television service providers (e.g., cable TV serviceproviders, satellite TV service providers, etc.). A pay televisionservice provider typically provides a set-top box and its associatedremote control unit to a subscriber with the expectation that thesedevices will be returned to the service provider at some point in thefuture. In most cases, the set-top boxes are leased to subscribers andremain the property of the pay television service provider.

Subscriber equipment, such as remote control units, set-top boxes, orother equipment, may be returned to the service provider for severalreasons. In some cases, the equipment fails to work properly and isreturned to the service provider when the customer is provided with areplacement. In other cases, a subscriber may want to upgrade theequipment to a newer model or to a model that offers different features.Finally, subscriber equipment is returned to the service provider when asubscriber cancels his or her service and no longer needs the equipment.

Unless the returned equipment is outdated or obsolete, the serviceprovider usually will want to reuse the equipment and provide it toother subscribers. In some cases, this may require that the equipment berepaired, refurbished, and tested to ensure that it works properly andis in good condition. If the equipment is satisfactory, it will berepackaged and put back into the service provider's inventory so that itmay be sent to new subscribers, or to existing subscribers who need areplacement or upgrade. This effort to reuse equipment allows theservice providers to avoid buying new equipment from their suppliers,thus saving a significant amount of money.

Simple remote control units have limited functionality. In many cases,they work with a single piece of equipment (e.g., a television it wassupplied with) and transmit specific IR remote control codes in responseto buttons being pressed. For example, they send a code that correspondsto “channel up” in response to the “channel up” button being pressed.Modern remote control units are more sophisticated and offer additionalfunctionality. They are often described as “universal” remote controlunits, because they are capable of controlling several devices (e.g.,cable set-top box, television, Blu-ray player, etc.) In addition tooutputting IR remote control codes, they also output radio frequency(RF) remote control codes in response to buttons being pressed. This RFfeature allows the remote control units to be used with equipment thatis placed in cabinets or behind walls, which interferes with anunobstructed line of sight between the remote control unit and thereceiver. The RF feature may also make possible additional features,such as allowing the remote control unit to respond to the subscriber'svoice commands (e.g., “watch ESPN”). A suitable technology forimplementing RF technology in remote control units is the Zigbee RF4CE(Radio Frequency for Consumer Electronics) specification published bythe Zigbee Alliance, which operates in the 2.4 GHz band according toIEEE 802.15.4. In addition, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.(CableLabs) has published a specification for an MSO profile for RF4CEthat is specifically designed to facilitate remote control of a targetdevice by a remote control unit in a cable set-top environment (seeOC-SP-RF4CE-I01-120924; Cable Profile for ZigBee RF4CE Remote ControlSpecification).

Some remote control units incorporate status indicators, such as statusLEDs, to provide a visual indication (e.g., by changing color) of thestatus of the remote control unit (i.e., whether it has been restored tofactory default mode, whether it has been paired with a target device,etc.). The buttons also may be backlit to make it easier to use theremote control unit in a dark room. Some of the more sophisticatedremote control units also provide a voice control feature and include amicrophone that allows them to respond to voice commands spoken by asubscriber. The voice commands may be straightforward (e.g., “watchESPN”) or may involve more complex tasks, like searching for a show bytitle, by the name of a cast member, etc. A speaker on the remotecontrol unit outputs a tone that indicates whether the voice command wasunderstood by the remote control unit and the associated subscriberequipment.

Before a used remote control unit may be redeployed to a subscriber bythe service provider, it can be tested to ensure that it works properlyand inspected to ensure that it does not have cosmetic damage that wouldrender it unsuitable for future use. The process of testing a remotecontrol unit may include pressing each button and analyzing theresulting IR or RF remote control codes to determine if they arecorrect. The other functionality can also be tested, including statuslights, button backlighting, the microphone, and the speaker.

Some of the functionality can be tested by a person without the use ofsophisticated test equipment. For example, a person can press thebuttons on the remote control unit and see if the backlighting isactivated. Similarly, a person can enter specific button sequences toreset the remote control unit and see if the status LED changes colorsin response. The proper operation of the microphone and speaker may alsobe verified by a person.

Without some equipment, it is not possible to confirm that the proper IRor RF remote control codes are transmitted in response to the buttonsbeing pushed. Simple, but incomplete, testing can be done using atelevision receiver or a set-top box. This would allow a person toconfirm that the remote control unit is able to turn the device on andoff, or change channels, or adjust the volume in response to thecorresponding buttons being pressed. However, sophisticated remotecontrol units include a database or library of remote control codes thatallow them to be used with multiple brands and models of set-top boxes,televisions, and other consumer electronics products. It is not possibleto test all of these remote control codes without having multipletelevisions, set-top boxes, etc. available. Furthermore, it would take asignificant amount of time for a person to thoroughly test a remotecontrol unit using this method.

Instead of settling for incomplete testing or assembling the collectionof equipment needed to test most of the remote control unit's IRfunctionality, it is possible to use an IR remote control unitdecoder/tester that is capable of receiving and decoding IR remotecontrol codes and displaying the codes it receives on its display forvisual confirmation by a user. Several models are available from varioussources, including the Generic Universal TV IR Remote Control DecoderTester available from amazon.com. Although these devices are capable ofrecognizing a large number of remote control codes, they still requireconsiderable human effort and time to confirm that the code that isdisplayed on the tester is the code that is supposed to correspond withthe pressed button.

In order to overcome these obstacles and provide a system that iscapable of quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly testing thefunctionality of remote control units, embodiments described in thepresent disclosure feature a test station that employs various featuresto perform the appropriate testing. The test station includes a testfixture that holds the remote control unit securely in place so that thebuttons on the remote control unit are aligned with actuators (e.g.,solenoids) that are configured to press the buttons on the remotecontrol unit in response to signals from a controller. The test stationcan comprise IR and RF receivers that receive the remote control codesthat are transmitted by the remote control unit when each button ispressed. The test station can also comprise light sensors, a speaker,and a microphone in order to test other functionality of the remotecontrol unit. These features allow a sophisticated remote control unitto be tested automatically, quickly, and thoroughly, and its conditionaccurately ascertained in order to determine if it is functioningproperly and suitable for reuse.

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate a remote control unit 10 of the type commonlyused with consumer electronics products, such as a set-top box providedby a pay television service provider. FIG. 1a is a front view of remotecontrol unit 10 and depicts several features of the device. The remotecontrol unit 10 includes a plurality of keys or buttons 15 that areassociated with the functions that may be executed using the remotecontrol unit 10. The remote control unit 10 depicted in FIG. 1 includes41 buttons (note that Vol +/− and Ch ∧/∨ are each counted as two sinceeach button toggles about its center line). Some of the buttons are usedto turn power to a TV or to the set-top box on or off. Other buttons areavailable to control volume up/down and channel up/down. Those skilledin the art will appreciate that other buttons may be used to controlstreaming video, navigate menus, select options, enter channel numbers,etc. Although most remote control units offer similar functionality, thenumber of buttons on a remote control unit, and the functions associatedwith those buttons, vary among the different makes and models of remotecontrol units. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat some remote control units (such as the Philex SLx RC050 remotecontrol) can employ touch screens or other types of displays in place ofsome or all of the conventional buttons or keys shown on the remotecontrol unit 10 in FIG. 1, and that the features and advantages of thepresent disclosure may be modified and adapted to work with touch screendisplays and the buttons displayed on them.

Other features of remote control unit 10 are shown in FIG. 1. A statusLED 20 indicates the status of the remote control unit. A microphonebutton 25 may be used to enable the remote control unit 10 to acceptvoice commands via a microphone 30. A top of the remote control unit 10has an IR lens 35, which protects an IR LED transmitter located beneathit while allowing the IR signals emitted by the IR LED located under theIR lens to pass through the lens with minimal attenuation orinterference. The buttons 15 may be backlit in order to facilitate useof the remote control unit 10 in a dark environment.

FIG. 1b is a rear view of the remote control unit 10 and illustratesadditional features of the remote control unit 10. Remote control unit10 includes a speaker 40. It also includes a battery compartment 45,which holds two AA batteries and normally is covered by battery cover50. The remote control unit may also include a recessed area 55, whichmay make it easier for a user to orient and hold the remote control unitin his or her hand. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatspeaker 40 may be a conventional speaker or any other audio outputdevice capable of producing a suitable tone or sound (e.g., apiezoelectric transducer).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a test station 60 for testing remotecontrol unit 10 of FIG. 1. The test station is designed to receiveremote control unit 10 (as shown in FIGS. 4-5) and hold it securely inplace during the testing process. The test station 60 includes a testfixture 62 and a control box 95. The test fixture 62 includes side walls65, which form a chamber or cavity for the remote control unit 10. Thewidth of the chamber coincides with the specific remote control units tobe tested. A bottom of the chamber can include at least one support 70,such as a set screw, which forms a bottom surface on which the remotecontrol unit rests while in the test fixture 62. As shown more clearlyin FIGS. 4-5, the remote control unit 10 is inserted upside down (i.e.,with the IR lens 35 pointing downward and resting on support 70) withthe buttons 15 facing an interior face 72 (shown in FIG. 3) of theactuator plate 115. The front surface of the remote control unit 10 canrest against set screws 75, which provide fixed points of reference forthe remote control unit 10 and maintain the proper spacing between theactuators 80 and the buttons 15.

FIG. 3 shows the interior face 72 of the test fixture and more clearlyshows a plurality of actuators 80, which are capable of pressing thebuttons on the remote control unit 10 in response to a signal from acontroller 170 (FIG. 5). Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatan actuator is, generally speaking, a component of a machine that isresponsible for moving a mechanism. There are different types ofactuators, including electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical.An actuator's motion may be linear or rotational. In the presentdisclosure, the actuators can be electrical, tubular, linear solenoids,which may be easily controlled by appropriate electrical signals from acontroller.

The test fixture can include an actuator positioned as needed to presseach of the remote control unit's buttons that will be tested. If, forsome reason, a button on the remote control unit does not need to betested, the test fixture does not need to provide an actuator for thatbutton. A toggle clamp 85 may be used to clamp the remote control unit10 in place so that it is properly aligned with the actuators 80 andheld firmly enough that the actuators are able to reliably press thebuttons 15 without pushing the entire remote control unit backward awayfrom the actuators. The design of the test fixture 62, including theside walls 65, supports 70, set screws 75, and toggle clamp 85 are suchthat the remote control unit can be held firmly in position where thebuttons are aligned with the actuators 80.

The design parameters for the test fixture can depend on the size, shapeand features of the remote control unit to be tested. Buttons on theremote control unit come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some may bevery small. Some may be positioned very close together. Consequently,the arrangement between the test fixture and the remote control unitunder test may be quite precise. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that sufficient precision can be obtained by a variety ofmethods, including close tolerances on the width of the chamber formedby the test fixture's side walls 65 relative to the width of the remotecontrol unit under test, the positioning of the supports 70 in thebottom of the test fixture, the positioning of the set screws 75, andthe positioning of the toggle clamp 85 that is used to secure the remotecontrol unit 10 in the test fixture 62.

As shown in FIG. 2, the test fixture 62 can also comprise a cover 82that can be configured to protect the portions of the actuators thatprotrude out the back of the actuator plate 115. At least one printedcircuit board 83 may be mounted on the test fixture and form part of thecircuit that controls the actuators 80 and other components of the testfixture 62. The cover 82 can be made of clear plastic to allow theoperator to observe the operation of the actuators. However, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that this is not necessary and thatthe cover 82 can be made of other suitable materials or omittedaltogether.

In addition to the aforementioned elements, FIG. 2 shows a test fixturemicrophone 90, which can be attached to the toggle clamp 85 and capableof picking up sounds emitted by the speaker 40 on the back of the remotecontrol unit 10. The test fixture also includes a fixture speaker 110(FIG. 5) that provides audio input for the remote control unit'smicrophone 30. The test station 60 can also include receivers 175, 180(FIG. 5) configured to receive the IR and RF remote control codestransmitted by remote control unit 10 in response to buttons beingpressed by the actuators 80. In order to test the remote control unit'sstatus LED and button backlighting, the test fixture 62 can include atleast one light detector or light sensor 100 (FIG. 3) positioned on theinterior face 72 of the test fixture 62. The test fixture can be mountedon control box 95, which houses a controller 170 (FIG. 5) that isconfigured to generate signals to control the actuators 80 and fixturespeaker 110 and to receive signals from the light sensors 100 and thefixture microphone 90 and from the IR and RF receivers 175, 180. The IRreceiver 175 may be located adjacent the supports 70 or further down inthe control box 95, provided that there is an adequate line of sightbetween the remote control unit's IR lens 35 and the IR receiver 175.The RF receiver 180 can be located almost anywhere in the test station60 since it does not rely on an unobstructed line of sight between itand the remote control unit.

FIG. 3 also illustrates additional light sensors 100 that can be mountedon the interior face 72 of the test fixture 62 for the purpose ofdetermining whether the button backlighting is working. The supports 70can include discrete supports positioned near the side walls 65 and madeof metal, plastic, or other suitable materials. Alternatively, supports70 can be replaced with a shelf made of clear plastic, Plexiglas, orsome other material that allows the IR signals to pass through it. Thetest fixture also includes a fixture speaker 110 that is positionedadjacent the remote control unit's microphone 30 (when the remotecontrol unit is properly positioned in the test fixture).

In an exemplary embodiment, the light sensors can each be a VEML6040RGBW Color Sensor with I2C Interface, manufactured by VishayIntertechnology, Inc., or any other light sensor that is small enoughand sensitive enough to operate in this setting. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that it is possible to detect the presence of thebacklighting without having a light sensor for each backlit button. Inthis embodiment, one light sensor 100 can be positioned adjacent theremote control unit's status LED, and other light sensors 100 can bepositioned around the interior face 72 of the actuator plate 115 in amanner sufficient to determine if the backlight function is working. Thenumber and placement of the light sensors may vary depending on thelight-related features on the remote control unit and the need to testthose features.

In an embodiment, the actuators 80 can be tubular push solenoids mountedin holes in the actuator plate 115. The positioning of the solenoids canbe such that when the remote control unit is placed in the test fixture,the surface of the actuators 80 may be in contact with, but not depress,the buttons 15 on the remote control unit 10 when the solenoids are intheir un-actuated or un-energized state. It is possible that some of thebuttons on the remote control unit may be different heights than otherbuttons 15 on the remote control unit. Thus, the placement of thesolenoids in a test fixture will depend on the features of the specificremote control units to be tested in that text fixture. The stroke(i.e., the distance the solenoid's piston travels), force, and timing ofthe solenoids' actuation will be determined by the specifications orrequirements for the particular buttons on the specific remote controlunits that will be tested. For example, actuating a solenoid for a briefperiod of time (for example, 200 milliseconds) may be sufficient to testmost buttons and their associated commands. However, a solenoid may needto be actuated for several seconds to confirm that buttons associatedwith commands like channel up/down or volume up/down repeat when thosebuttons are pressed and held. Customized or custom-made solenoids may beobtained from various suppliers if the features of the remote controlunits under test require some combination of size, force, and strokethat is not readily available in the off-the-shelf products.

FIGS. 4-5 illustrate how a remote control unit 10 is positioned andsecured in the test station 60 and how power is supplied to the remotecontrol unit 10 during testing. In FIG. 4, the remote control unit 10has been inserted into the test fixture 62 so that the IR lens 35 (shownin FIG. 1a ) is facing downward and the buttons 15 (shown in FIG. 1a )are facing toward the interior face 72 of the actuator plate 115 so thatthe buttons 15 are adjacent the actuators 80. The battery cover 50 hasbeen removed so that the battery compartment 45 is open. In this view,the toggle clamp 85 locked into place. The action of the toggle clamp 85can press the remote control unit firmly up against the set screws 75(shown in FIG. 2) and can ensure that the position of the buttonsrelative to the solenoids (actuators 80) is appropriate. It also ensuresthat the remote control unit remains in position when the actuatorspress the buttons. When the toggle clamp 85 is locked into place, thefixture microphone 90 can be simultaneously moved into position adjacentthe speaker 40 on the back of remote control unit 10.

FIG. 4 also shows a line-powered battery pack simulator 120. Remotecontrol units typically require one or more AA or AAA batteries in orderto operate. Line-powered battery pack simulators or battery packreplacements are known in the art and can be used to provide aline-powered alternative to disposable batteries. These battery packsimulators provide a power source with the same form and fit as AA orAAA batteries that fit into normal battery compartments, but they arepowered by a cord 125 that runs to a power source. The power supply mayplug into an AC wall outlet, or power to the cable may be supplied bycircuitry in the control box 95, in which case the control circuitry cancontrol power (i.e., turn power on or off) to the remote control unitunder test. The battery pack simulator 120 of the present disclosure isconfigured to replace two AA batteries and supplies approximately 3volts DC to the remote control unit. The battery pack simulator 120 alsoemploys a handle 130 to facilitate the operator's insertion of thebattery pack simulator 120 at the beginning of the testing and removalof the battery pack simulator 120 when testing is completed.

FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway view of the test station of FIG. 2 thatshows additional aspects of the relative positions of the remote controlunit 10 and the features of the test station 60. As described early, butshown more clearly here, the remote control unit 10 is positioned in thetest fixture 62 with the IR lens 35 facing downward and the buttonsfacing the actuators 80. As more clearly shown in this figure, the testfixture speaker 110 is located adjacent the remote control unit'smicrophone 30 and one of the light sensors 100 is located adjacent theremote control unit's status LED 20.

In FIG. 5, the exterior of the control box 95 is cut away to showcomponents that can be located in the interior of the control box 95. Inthis embodiment, a controller 170, such as a Raspberry Pi computer, canbe mounted inside the control box 95, and connected to an IR receiver175 and an RF receiver 180. The IR receiver 175 can be located below theIR lens 35 of the remote control unit 10. It may be positioned close tothe IR lens 35 or further down in the control box 95, as long as thepath between the IR lens and the IR receiver is not obstructed. Arepresentative IR receiver 175 can be the TSOP38238 IR Receiver Modulefor Remote Control Systems, manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology orother, similar device. The RF receiver 180 can be a RF4CE-compatibledongle, such as the CC2531EMK USB dongle evaluation module kit, whichprovides a USB interface to 802.15.4/Zigbee applications and ismanufactured by Texas Instruments Incorporated. The position of the RFreceiver 180 is not critical since the remote control unit's RFtransmissions are not directional and do not require an unobstructedline of sight. In the test station of FIG. 5, the RF receiver 180 plugsinto a USB port associated with the controller 170. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that while the Zigbee RF4CE standard is the RFstandard that is most commonly used in remote control units, otherwireless or RF standards are available. For example, Wi-Fi Direct andBluetooth may be used. The receiver or receivers that are used in thetest station can be selected based on the functionality of the remotecontrol unit that is being tested.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, testfixtures can be similar in some aspects to the test fixture 62 discussedabove, and that in other embodiments, the actuators, speakers,microphones, light sensors, and other features of the test fixture maybe positioned in different places on the test fixture in order toaccommodate the features of the specific type of remote control unit tobe tested. This can include having actuators, speakers, microphones,etc. that engage with corresponding features of the remote control unit(e.g., buttons, microphone, speaker, etc.) that may be on a side orother surface of the remote control unit.

In order to use the test station to perform automated testing on theremote control unit 10, the test station can have a controller 170 andassociated circuitry capable of executing a test routine andcontrolling, manipulating, or communicating with the various features ofthe test station 60, and with a user or operator. The controller 170 canbe programmed to execute a process or method that utilizes the featuresof the test fixture 62 to test some or all of the functions of theremote control unit 10.

In one embodiment, the controller 170 can be a commercially availablecomputer such as a Raspberry Pi, a microcontroller such as Arduino, orsimilar device. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B.The Raspberry Pi 3 B includes a variety of features that facilitate itsuse in this context. It includes a Broadcom 64-bit CPU and 1 GB of RAMand runs a Linux-based operating system. It includes a variety ofinput/output ports, including four USB 2 ports, one Ethernet port, andone HDMI port. It includes 802.11n and Bluetooth capability. It runs offof +5 VDC and has a 40-pin connector for providing a variety ofconfigurable input and output pins or signals to other circuit boards ordevices. Many of the pins and signals on the 40-pin GPIO (GeneralPurpose Input/Output) connector may be configured as analog or digital,and as inputs or outputs, based on the needs of the user.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the Raspberry Picomputer's features facilitate connection to, and interaction with, avariety of input/output and display devices. For example, in anexemplary embodiment, a USB device, such as the RF receiver 180mentioned above, can be plugged directly into a USB port on theRaspberry Pi computer. Other devices may be connected via generalpurpose input/output pins provided on the controller 170, while othersmay require additional interface circuitry to decode signals from thecontroller or to interface with signals coming from other elements ofthe test fixture.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a controller interface board 185 forinterfacing the controller 170 to features of the test fixture 62 forthe purpose of testing the functionality of a remote control unit 10.Generally speaking, the controller board connects to the controller 170(Raspberry Pi) via the 40-pin GPIO connector. The controller interfaceboard 185 includes connectors, control logic, power control and othercircuitry need to interface the controller 170 to the test fixture 62.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a test fixture board 83, which is a part ofthe test fixture 62 and provides the electrical interface to a specifictest fixture 62. For example, the test fixture board 83 can includeInter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) switches that interface with the lightsensors 100 on the test fixture 62 and decoders sufficient to decodesignals from the controller 170 that are used to actuate the solenoids(actuators 80). The test fixture board can also provide an audio signalto the fixture speaker 110. The controller interface board 185 canconnect to the test fixture board 83 by means of a 16-pin (i.e., 2×8)connector.

The features and operation of the controller 170, controller interfaceboard 185, and test fixture board 83 will be described together.

One function of the test station is to provide power to the test fixtureand to the remote control unit being tested. In an exemplary embodiment,the controller interface board 185 receives +19.6 VDC (5.9 A) from anexternal power supply via an external power connector. This inputvoltage is provided to a voltage regulator that provides +5 VDC to the40-pin connector in order to power the Raspberry Pi computer. The +19.6VDC input voltage is also provided to the test fixture board via the16-pin (2×8) header after passing through a solid state relay and ashunt resistor.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when actuating a solenoid,a voltage is applied to the winding to create a magnetic field. Becausethe winding can have a large inductance, the current takes some time tobuild up. The force of the core is proportional to the current. In orderto generate maximum force to move the core, a relatively high voltagemust be applied to the winding to quickly build the current. Once themovement of the core is complete, a much smaller current usually can beused to hold the core in position. If the current is not reduced,considerable power is dissipated in the winding and the solenoid maygenerate a large amount of heat.

FIG. 11 illustrates a timing diagram showing the voltage that may beapplied to the solenoids via the solid state relay and shunt resistor.When a solenoid is actuated, a voltage in the range of +17 to 19 VDC isapplied to the solenoid winding for approximately 200 milliseconds. Thenthe voltage is reduced to approximately +9 VDC for approximately 500milliseconds. The specific voltages and timing will depend on the typesof solenoids used and the timing requirements of the buttons on theremote control unit and the functions being tested. For example, thechannel up button may be pressed for several seconds to ensure that issends repeated channel up commands.

Referring again to FIG. 7, the input from the fixture microphone 90(FIG. 5) is provided to the controller 170 via the 40-pin GPIOconnector. The input from the IR receiver 175 is provided to thecontroller 170 via the 40-pin GPIO connector. An audio signal from thecontroller 170 is passed through an audio amplifier and provided to thefixture speaker 110 via the 16-pin connector. Power (+3 VDC) is providedto the battery pack simulator 120 via a connector on the controllerinterface board 185. The +3 VDC power may be turned on and off by thecontroller 170.

The primary interactions between the controller interface board 185(FIG. 7) and the test fixture board 83 (FIG. 8) pertain to the lightsensors 100 and the actuators 80 that form a part of the test fixture.In an exemplary embodiment, the light sensor communicates with thecontroller via the I2C interface. An I2C switch (such as the PCA9548Afrom Texas Instruments, or a similar device) located on the test fixtureboard 83 allows the controller 170 to address each of the light sensorsand read from it data that represent the color and intensity of thelight. With respect to the solenoids (actuators 80), a decoder allowsthe controller to address the specific solenoid that will be actuated.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a 5-bit decoder issuitable for addressing up to 32 different devices, while a 6-bitdecoder will allow 64 devices to be addressed. The output of the decodermay signal a relay, which will provide a drive voltage to the solenoid.The timing of the drive signal and its different voltage levels arecontrolled by the controller and associated circuitry.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specifics of thecontroller interface board 185 and the test fixture board 83 can varydepending on the remote control unit to be tested and the text fixtureused to test it. Furthermore, the test station 60 is designed so thatthe same control box 95 can be used with test fixtures designed for avariety of different types of remote control units. This may beaccomplished by mounting a different test fixture to the control box,connecting the controller interface board 185 to the test fixture board83, and ensuring that the controller is executing the test processassociated with the connected test fixture and remote control unit.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the high level process that may becarried out by an operator using a test station of the type describedherein. The testing process 900 begins at step 905 when an operatorinserts a remote control unit 10 into the test fixture. As describedearlier in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and 5, the remote control unit 10 isinserted upside down with the buttons 15 resting against the actuators80 and set screws 75 on the actuator plate 115.

At step 910 the operator closes the toggle clamp 85 to ensure that theremote control unit 10 is held firmly in place and that the buttons 15are properly aligned with the actuators 80.

At step 915 the operator inserts the line-powered battery pack simulator120 into the battery compartment 45 of the remote control unit 10, usingthe handle 130 for convenience.

At step 920 the operator initiates the automatic test using a keyboardor other input device (not shown) that is connected to the controller170 in the control box 95. For example, a keyboard may be connected to aRaspberry Pi computer through one of the USB ports shown in FIG. 6.

At step 925 the operator will determine whether the remote control unithas passed the automated test. The controller may provide a pass/failindication via a display connected to the controller. For example, amonitor or display may be connected to a Raspberry Pi computer throughthe HDMI port shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, the controller may providea tone or other indicator that the remote control unit has passed thetest.

If the operator determines that the remote control unit has not passedthe automated test, he or she will proceed to step 930 and indicate thatthe remote control unit has not passed. This indication may involve awritten notation of some sort, a sticker being attached to the remotecontrol unit, or simply placing it in a box or area reserved for failedremote control units.

If the operator determines that the remote control unit has passed theautomated test, he or she will proceed to step 935 and indicate that theremote control unit has passed. This indication may involve a writtennotation of some sort, a sticker being attached to the remote controlunit, or simply placing it in a box or area reserved for remote controlunits that have passed the test.

At this point, the testing of the remote control unit is complete andthe test station is ready to test another remote control unit.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a set of steps that may beperformed by an automated test procedure as part of an automated test ofa remote control unit 10. The test process illustrated in FIG. 10 can bethe automated test procedure discussed above in FIG. 9 in conjunctionwith step 920.

In the automated test procedure 1000 of FIG. 10, the test begins at step1005 after a remote control unit is clamped into the test fixture andthe test is initiated by an operator (FIG. 9, step 920). At step 1005the controller resets the remote control unit to its default settings.This can be accomplished by pressing buttons in a prescribed sequence.For example, if the remote control unit 10 under test may be reset bypressing the “setup” button followed by “9,” “6,” and “3,” thecontroller would cause the actuators associated with those keys to beactuated in that sequence for the prescribed amount of time. Thecontroller may use digital input/output pins to address the desiredactuator via the decoder on the test fixture board 83 and otherinput/output pins to control the relay on the controller interface boardso as to provide the desired voltages to the actuators.

At step 1010 the automated test procedure determines if the attempt toreset the remote control unit was successful. The controller 170 mayaccomplish this by using other digital output pins to address the lightsensor 100 that is positioned adjacent to the status LED 20 on theremote control unit. The controller may accomplish this by using digitalinput/output pins to address the desired light sensor via the I2C switchon the test fixture board 83 and by using I2C pins on the controller tocommunicate with and read data from the light sensor. The controller maycompare the value returned by the light sensor with values that areknown to correspond to the color of the status LED when the remotecontrol unit has been reset to factory defaults. For example, if thestatus LED should turn green following reset, the controller willcompare the values read from the light sensor to the values associatedwith green. Similarly, if the status LED is supposed to blink, thecontroller may take multiple readings from the light sensor anddetermine if the captured values correspond to a blinking light of theexpected color.

If the values provided by the light sensor do not match the valuesassociated with a successful reset, the method proceeds to step 1065,which will be discussed below.

If the values provided by the light sensor do match the valuesassociated with a successful reset, the method proceeds to step 1015,where the controller tests the IR codes associated with some or all ofthe buttons on the remote control. The process of testing the IR codescan have the controller cause the actuators 80 to press each button onthe remote control unit, read the IR code value transmitted by theremote control unit, and compare it to the IR code that corresponds tothe pressed button. As discussed above, pressing the desired button isaccomplished when the controller's digital input/output pins are used toaddress the desired button via the decoder and relay on the test fixtureboard, and the controller controls the solid state relay so as toprovide the proper voltage to the relay and actuator. As (or shortlyafter) the button is pressed, the controller may begin polling a digitalinput pin associated with the IR receiver and determine the code that isbeing transmitted by the remote control unit. After the IR code isreceived, the controller may retrieve the expected value from a databaseof IR codes and compare the expected code to the code received from theIR receiver. For example, when the controller is testing the “channelup” button, it may query a database stored in the controller's memoryand determine the code associated with the “channel up” button. The IRcode received from the IR receiver would then be compared to the codethat was retrieved from the database. This sequence of steps would berepeated for each button to be tested.

The automated test procedure may then proceed to step 1020 and test tosee if the button backlighting feature of the remote control unit isfunctioning properly. To accomplish this, the controller initiates someaction that would trigger the backlighting feature, such as pressing oneof the buttons on the remote control unit. Once the controller causes abutton to be pushed in the manner described above, the controller willquery one or more of the light sensors and determine if the valuesreturned by the light sensors are consistent with light generated by thebacklight feature. As described above in conjunction with reading valuesfrom the status LED light sensor, the controller can use address linesand the I2C switch to query one or more of the light sensors. In anaspect of the disclosure, the light sensors may be not queriedsimultaneously, so reading the values from more than one light sensorrequires that multiple light sensors be addressed and read in sequence.The values returned by the light sensors may allow the controller todetermine if the backlighting feature is functioning.

After the backlight test, the automated test procedure proceeds to step1025 and prepares to perform a variety of tests associated with theremote control unit's RF4CE functionality. At step 1025 the controllerperforms steps required to pair the remote control unit with the RFreceiver. In order to interact with the RF4CE dongle (RF receiver 180)and place it in pairing mode, the controller can use a Linux-basedclient server application that implements the RF4CE MSO profile. This isa profile for RF4CE that is specifically designed to facilitate remotecontrol of a target by a controller in a cable set-top environment. TheRF4CE MSO profile is based on the Zigbee Remote Control profile withadditions and changes to make it suitable for a cable user environment.These changes include button-less pairing, which allows users to pair aremote without having to press a physical button on the target device.

The RF4CE interface can be implemented using the RemoTI RF4CE-compliantsoftware architecture from Texas Instruments. The RemoTI architectureoffers a software architectural framework and all of the tools,documentation, and support needed to build an RF4CE-compliant product.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the RemoTI architectureincludes many useful features, including voice-over-RF4CE support.

Thus the pairing process requires the controller to communicate with theRF4CE dongle and put it in the pairing mode, while also using theactuators to press the buttons on the remote control unit 10 that willplace the remote control unit 10 in the pairing mode. For example, aremote control unit 10 may be placed in the pairing mode by pressing andholding the setup button for several seconds or until a status LEDchanges colors.

Once step 1025 is completed, the automated test procedure determines ifthe RF pairing was successful at step 1030. This step may be similar tostep 1010 above in the sense that the controller acquire data from thelight sensor associated with the status LED and determine if the colorof the light corresponds to an expected value. This may be done bycomparing the read value to a value stored in memory. Alternatively, thecontroller may receive data from the RF4CE dongle that indicates thatthe pairing was successful, along with information about the pairedremote control unit (e.g., the remote control unit's unique MAC (MediaAccess Control) address). The MAC address allows an RF4CE receiver todifferentiate between multiple RF4CE remote control units when more thanone remote control unit is using the same channel. In addition, the MACaddress may be used as a pseudo-serial number as a way to identifyremote control units.

If the values provided by the light sensor or RF4CE dongle do not matchthe values associated with a successful RF pairing, the method proceedsto step 1065, which is discussed below.

If the values provided by the light sensor or RF4CE dongle do match thevalues associated with a successful RF pairing, the method proceeds tostep 1035, where the controller tests the RF codes associated with someor all of the buttons on the remote control. The process of testing theRF codes requires the controller to cause the actuators to press eachbutton on the remote control unit, read the RF code value transmitted bythe remote control unit, and compare it to the RF code that correspondsto the pressed button. As discussed above, pressing the desired buttonis accomplished when the controller's digital input/output pins are usedto address the desired button via the decoder and relay on the testfixture board, and the controller controls the solid state relay so asto provide the proper voltage to the relay and actuator. As (or shortlyafter) the button is pressed, the controller may begin polling the RFreceiver (the RF4CE dongle) and determine the code that is beingtransmitted by the remote control unit and received by the RF4CE dongle.After the RF code is received, the controller may retrieve the expectedvalue from a database of RF codes and compare the expected code to thecode that was received from the RF receiver. For example, when thecontroller is testing the “channel up” button, it may query a databasestored in the controller's memory and determine the code associated withthe “channel up” button. The RF code received from the RF receiver wouldthen be compared to the code that was retrieved from the database. Thissequence of steps would take place for each button to be tested.

As referenced above, in order to test the remote control codetransmitted by the remote control unit 10 in response to the pressing ofa button, the controller can store in its memory a database or file ofthe appropriate RF and IR remote control codes. An RF4CE code library ispart of the RF4CE MSO profile and is included in Annex A of the CableProfile for the ZigBee RF4CE Remote Control Specification, which waspublished by Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs) asOC-SP-RF4CE-I01-120924. The IR code library can be selected to match thespecific model of remote control unit being tested. IR code librariesare available from a variety sources, including commercial vendors suchas Universal Equipment, Inc., and from free sources such ashttp://lirc-remotes.sourceforge.net/remotes-table.html. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the IR and RF remote control codesassociated with a particular function or key need not be the same.

An important aspect of the automated test procedure is the ability totest the remote control unit's voice-related functionality. The remotecontrol unit's ability to recognize and process voice commands (e.g.,“watch ESPN”) is an attractive feature for subscribers, and it isimportant that the functionality be tested and operating properly beforea remote control unit is provided to a subscriber. In an exemplaryembodiment, the voice-related functionality is associated with andimplemented via the RF4CE interface. As a result, testing of thevoice-related functions can take place after the remote control unit ispaired with the RF4CE dongle at step 1025.

After the RF codes are tested at step 1035, the automated test procedurecan proceed to step 1040 in order to determine if the remote controlunit's microphone is functioning properly. This is accomplished bypressing the microphone button 25 on the remote control unit andchecking to see if the status LED 20 changes color. As described above,the controller 170 may accomplish this by sending signals to the decoderto address the actuator 80 that corresponds to the microphone button 25,along with the voltage required to cause the solenoid to press and holdthe button. As the microphone button 25 is being held, the controllercan send signals to the I2C switch and query the light sensor that isassociated with the status LED. The light sensor will return data thatcorresponds to the color and intensity of the light emitted by thestatus LED. In the case of the VEML6040 RGBW Color Sensor from VishaySemiconductors, the light sensor returns a 16-bit value for each channel(i.e., for red, green, blue and white). As a result, the controller canread all four 16-bit values and compare that data with stored valuesthat are associated with the status LED color that is expected if themicrophone is working properly. For example, if the status LED issupposed to turn blue when the microphone button 25 is pressed, thecontroller will read the values from the light sensor and determine ifthey indicate that the status LED is, in fact, blue. The controller cancause the actuator to release the microphone button 25 once the valuesare read from the light sensor.

The automated test procedure then proceeds to step 1045 in order todetermine if the remote control unit emits an audible indication (i.e.,a “mic on” tone) when the microphone button 25 is pressed and a “micoff” tone when it is released. This is accomplished by pressing themicrophone button 25 on the remote control unit 10 and checking to seeif the speaker 40 emits a “mic on” tone. As described above, thecontroller 170 may accomplish this by sending signals to the decoder toaddress the actuator 80 that corresponds to the microphone button 25,along with the voltage required to press and hold the button. As themicrophone button 25 is being held, the controller can sample an analoginput associated with the fixture microphone 90 and store the valuesreceived from microphone input. The controller can then compare thesevalues to stored values that reflect tone that should be emitted by theremote control unit's speaker if it is functioning properly. If thesampled values from the fixture microphone 90 match (within an acceptedrange) the expected values, the controller may indicate that the featuredid function properly.

Similarly, the automated test procedure can test for an audible thatindicates that the microphone button 25 has been released (i.e., a “micoff” tone). The controller 170 may accomplish this by de-energizing theactuator 80 that corresponds to the microphone button 25. When themicrophone button 25 is released, the controller can sample an analoginput associated with the fixture microphone 90 and store the valuesreceived from microphone input. The controller can then compare thesevalues to stored values that reflect tone that should be emitted by theremote control unit's speaker if it is functioning properly. If thesampled values from the fixture microphone 90 match (within an acceptedrange) the expected values, the controller may indicate that the featuredid function properly.

The automated test procedure proceeds to step 1050, where it tests theremote control unit's audio quality. To accomplish this, the controller170 causes an actuator 80 to press and hold the microphone button 25 asdescribed above. While the microphone button 25 is pressed, thecontroller will play out an audio file (such as a .wav, .mp3, or otherfile) on the analog output pins that are connected to the audioamplifier and fixture speaker 110. If the remote control unit and theRF4CE interface are working properly, the remote control unit'smicrophone 30 will pick up the audio file that is played over thefixture speaker and transmit it to the RF4CE dongle. At that point, thecontroller may receive the audio data from the RF4CE dongle and store itin its memory. The received audio file may be compared to the audio filethat was played out to the fixture speaker and determine the correlationbetween the two files. If the correlation is sufficient, it may indicatethat the remote control unit's microphone and the associatedfunctionality are performing satisfactorily.

Another aspect of the microphone-related testing relates to how theremote control unit responds if the microphone button 25 is pressed butthe RF4CE link is not operational. As described above, in the presentembodiment, the voice-related functionality requires that the remotecontrol unit be paired with an RF4CE target, such as a set-top box. Inthe testing scenarios described above, the remote control unit is pairedwith an RF4CE dongle that is plugged into the controller's USB slot. Thetesting in the previous steps required that that RF4CE link be active.The tests in steps 1055 and 1060 require that the link be inactive inorder to determine if the remote control unit generates a “mic error”tone under these circumstances.

At step 1055, the controller disables the RF transceiver. The controllermay accomplish this by sending an appropriate command to the RF4CEdongle via the USB port.

At step 1060, the controller performs steps that are similar to thoseperformed in step 1045. The controller 170 may send signals to thedecoder to address the actuator 80 that corresponds to the microphonebutton 25, along with the voltage required to press and hold the button.As the microphone button 25 is being held, the controller can sample ananalog input associated with the fixture microphone 90 and store thevalues received from microphone input. The controller can then comparethese values to stored values that reflect tone that should be emittedby the remote control unit's speaker when it encounters an error in theRF4CE communication. If the sampled values from the fixture microphone90 match (within an accepted range) the expected values, the controllermay indicate that the feature functioned properly and emitted the “micerror” tone.

Step 1065 begins the final steps associated with the automated testprocedure 1000. The test procedure may arrive at step 1065 after steps1010, 1030, or 1060, as shown in FIG. 10. At step 1065, the controllerattempts to reset the remote control unit to its factory defaultsettings so that it will be ready for use by a new subscriber. This isaccomplished in the same manner as described above in conjunction withstep 1005.

At step 1070, the controller saves the test results in memory associatedwith the controller. This may be accomplished in various ways. Forexample, the controller may keep a simple tally of passed and failedremote control units. In this case, the controller would need toincrement a counter associated with passing or failing, whichever is thecase. Alternatively, the results of the test may be stored with theremote control unit's unique MAC address. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that most remote control units do not have serial number orother means for uniquely identifying one remote control unit fromanother. However, in the case of RF4CE-compatible remote control units,each remote control unit has a unique MAC address that is used todistinguish one device from another on the RF4CE communicationschannels. This MAC address may be used in place of a serial number totrack the results of the testing. In this case, the MAC address andresults would be stored in memory associated with the controller. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that storing such information may beuseful because it allows the test station operator to track the statusof remote control units that it has tested. If one of the tested remotecontrol units is returned to the testing company due to a problem, theywill have some data about the earlier testing and performance of theremote control unit.

At step 1075, the automated testing procedure indicates to the operatorwhether the remote control unit under test has passed or failed. Thismay be accomplished by means of a display that is plugged into thecontroller's HDMI port. Once the operator is provided with the results,he or she may remove the remote control device from the test fixture andplace it in a place designated for remote control units that pass orfail the testing, as the case may be.

At this point, the testing of a remote control unit is complete and theremote control unit may be removed from the test fixture so that thetest fixture is available to test additional remote control units.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the automated testingprocess 1000 of FIG. 10 is provided by way of example only and that manyvariations are possible. For example, an automated testing process mayperform all or fewer of the tests shown here. Alternatively, additionalor alternative tests may performed as part of the testing processdepending on the features associated with the remote controls undertest. Similarly, the conditions under which the tests terminate also mayvary. For example, automated test procedure 1000 arrives at step 1065from one of three steps, namely steps 1010, 1030, or 1060. In order tosave time, the operator of the test station may want the procedure toterminate as soon as the remote control unit under test fails any test.It is also possible that the operator of the test station may want torun all of the tests even if one or more are failed in order to producea comprehensive list of the features that do or do not work. Thisinformation may assist the operator in any decisions to be made aboutwhether a failing remote control unit may be repaired. For example, adetermination that everything except the button backlighting passed thetest may lead a test station operator to conclude that the remotecontrol unit should be repaired. Other test outcomes and possibleconclusions to be drawn from those outcomes will be known to thoseskilled in the art.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific tests andsequences discussed in conjunction with the automated test procedure1000 are provided as an illustration and that many variations aspossible depending on the features of the remote control units beingtested and the test station being employed.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate how the present disclosure andthe embodiments described herein provide a test station 60 and testfixture 62 that are capable of testing multiple functions on a remotecontrol unit 10. The components of the test fixture 62 can be controlledby a controller 170 that runs a test script or routine that causes thecomponents of the test fixture 62 to provide the desired inputs to theremote control unit, and to collect and analyze the outputs from theremote control unit 10. In the embodiments disclosed herein, the inputsto the remote control unit under test include the button presses fromthe actuators 80 and audio output from the speaker 110. The outputs fromthe remote control unit under test include IR and RF remote controlcodes, the status LED 20, the button backlights, and speaker output. Anexemplary test fixture for use in a test station, along with a testsystem in which test stations may be used, are disclosed in theco-pending applications cited above in the Cross-Reference to RelatedApplications, which are incorporated herein in their entireties. Inlight of the foregoing discussion, those skilled in the art willappreciate that a test station that has been used to test one model ofremote control unit may be reconfigured to test a different model byreplacing the text fixture with a new, appropriate test fixture, andcausing the controller in the control box to execute a test routinecompatible with the new text fixture and the new model of remote controlunit.

Although several aspects have been disclosed in the foregoingspecification, it is understood by those skilled in the art that manymodifications and other aspects will come to mind to which thisdisclosure pertains, having the benefit of the teaching presented in theforegoing description and associated drawings. It is thus understoodthat the disclosure is not limited to the specific aspects disclosedhereinabove, and that many modifications and other aspects are intendedto be included within the scope of any claims that can recite thedisclosed subject matter.

The logical operations, functions, or steps described herein as part ofa method, process or routine may be implemented (1) as a sequence ofprocessor-implemented acts, software modules, or portions of coderunning on a controller or computing system and/or (2) as interconnectedmachine logic circuits or circuit modules within the controller orcomputing system. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent onthe performance and other requirements of the system. Alternateimplementations are included in which operations, functions or steps maynot be included or executed at all, may be executed out of order fromthat shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or inreverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would beunderstood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the presentdisclosure.

One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,”“could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain aspects include, while other aspects do notinclude, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditionallanguage is not generally intended to imply that features, elementsand/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular aspectsor that one or more particular aspects necessarily comprise logic fordeciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether thesefeatures, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed inany particular aspect.

It should be emphasized that the above-described aspects are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Any processdescriptions or blocks in flow diagrams should be understood asrepresenting modules, segments, or portions of code which comprise oneor more executable instructions for implementing specific logicalfunctions or steps in the process, and alternate implementations areincluded in which functions may not be included or executed at all, canbe executed out of order from that shown or discussed, includingsubstantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on thefunctionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonablyskilled in the art of the present disclosure. Many variations andmodifications can be made to the above-described aspect(s) withoutdeparting substantially from the spirit and principles of the presentdisclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure is intended tocover any and all combinations and sub-combinations of all elements,features, and aspects discussed above. All such modifications andvariations are intended to be included herein within the scope of thepresent disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects orcombinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A test station for testing a voice controlfeature of remote control units, comprising: a test fixture for holdinga remote control unit, the test fixture comprising a plurality ofactuators configured to press a plurality of buttons on the remotecontrol unit, each actuator corresponding to a different button of theplurality of buttons on the remote control unit, a radio frequencyreceiver configured to receive a radio frequency signal transmitted bythe remote control unit, a speaker located adjacent a microphone on theremote control unit and configured to provide an audio input to themicrophone on the remote control unit when the remote control unit ispositioned in the test fixture; a first light sensor located adjacent astatus indicator on the remote control unit when the remote control unitis positioned in the test fixture, and a test fixture microphone locatedadjacent a speaker on the remote control unit when the remote controlunit is positioned in the test fixture; and a controller connected tothe test fixture and configured to cause a first actuator of theplurality of actuators to press a microphone button on the remotecontrol unit, detect, via the first light sensor, a change of color ofthe status indicator on the remote control unit in response to thepressing of the microphone button, output, in response to the change ofcolor of the status indicator and while the microphone button is beingpressed by the first actuator, audio corresponding to a first audio fileto the speaker on the test fixture, receive a radio frequency signalfrom the remote control unit, the radio frequency signal comprising asecond audio file corresponding to the signal produced by the microphoneon the remote control unit when the microphone button was being pressedby the first actuator, assess the performance of the voice controlfeature by determining a correlation between the first audio file andthe second audio file, disable the radio frequency receiver, sample anaudio input from the test fixture microphone while the radio frequencyreceiver is disabled and the microphone button is being pressed by thefirst actuator, and determine if the audio input from the test fixturemicrophone corresponds to an error tone that indicates that themicrophone on the remote control unit is inoperative.
 2. The teststation of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency receiver and the radiofrequency signal are compatible with the Radio Frequency for ConsumerElectronics (RF4CE) standard.
 3. The test station of claim 1, whereinthe controller is further configured to indicate that the remote controlunit is operating properly based on the correlation between the firstaudio file and the second audio file.
 4. The test station of claim 1,wherein the controller is further operative to cause a second actuatorof the plurality of actuators to press a second button of the pluralityof buttons on the remote control unit, receive a second radio frequencysignal from the remote control unit, the second radio frequency signalcomprising a code associated with the second button of the plurality ofbuttons, retrieve from a database an expected code associated with thesecond button of the plurality of buttons, and determine if the codeassociated with the second button of the plurality of buttons matchesthe expected code associated with the second button of the plurality ofbuttons.
 5. The test station of claim 1, wherein the actuators comprisesolenoids.